Family Time
by Super-Nerd01
Summary: Artemis knew that one day her past would catch up with her.  She just didn't realize that it would put her newfound family in danger.  May be some Spitfire, but I'm not sure yet.  Rated T because I don't know what I'm doing.  First story!


**Hiya!**

**So this is my first time writing a story, but I am absolutely obsessed with Young Justice!**

**Like seriously I have a problem.**

**Minor spoilers if you haven't seen Insecurity yet...I actually wrote this before the episode, but it was creepily similar to the ending, so I tweaked a few things to make it take place afterward.**

**Hope it isn't too horrible!**

It had been another long day. Artemis quietly opened the door to her small apartment, wincing as the battered hinges let out a long creak. Trying not to wake her mother, she tip-toed into the dark room, carelessly flinging her school bag onto the worn couch that sat in front of the small, outdated television.

Reaching the door to her bedroom, Artemis set her hand against the brass knob and wearily rested her head against the wall. Strands of her blonde hair were coming out of her usually pristine ponytail, and her brown leather jacket was crumpled and wrinkly. She had just about had it with her life at the moment. The combined stress of being a covert super heroine by night and student at an elite private school by day was finally getting to her. She had to stay top of her class in Gotham Academy, or she would lose the scholarship her mother had been so proud she had received. But with all the missions the Team had been on lately, her studying time had become almost nonexistant. And the Team was an entirely different story. Artemis had been getting along with them very well. Key word _had_ been. Ever since Red Arrow's first mission with the team, he had been constantly on her case. She couldn't even walk into Mount Justice without him calling her a traitor. He had even turned Wally against her! And that had been right when they were starting to get along.

Artemis sighed and pushed the door to her room open, taking stock of the two purple beds, the faded poster on the wall, the fluttering curtains, and the shadow outside her open window. Reaching up to take her hair tie out, Artemis froze midway through the movement, her mind catching up to what she had just seen.

_There was someone outside her window_.

Sprinting across the small span of her room, heels slamming into the wooden floor, Artemis leaned out into the cold Gotham night. Her compactable crossbow was in her hand in a matter of seconds, and she pointed it outside, her body racing with adrenaline. _How could I have let myself lower_ _my guard like that_, she thought, scolding herself_. _Artemis had been on guard ever since her father had paid her a surprise visit a few weeks back, but she hadn't expected another intruder so soon! She moved her eyes across the buildings in the distance, searching for any sign of the intruder, all while wondering who had been in her apartment. Her thoughts immediately jumped to the Shadows. She had deserted them, and Artemis knew what happened to deserters. They were silenced. Immediately. So it wasn't completely out of the question that an assassin had been lying in wait for her. What made no sense however, was the fact that the assassin had fled. Artemis knew that right now, with barely enough strength to keep her eyes open, she was an easy target.

_But what if I wasn't the target_, she thought, _what if…_

"Mom," Artemis breathed, eyes wide with terror. She raced down the hall to throw open her mother's door, slamming it open. The woman in the bed immediately shot up, and in a flash of movement, a knife impaled itself into the wall behind Artemis's panting figure.

Paula Crock's eyes were steely grey as she readied another throwing knife. Once she adjusted to the shock of being awoken suddenly, however, she lowered her weapon and spoke concernedly, "Artemis, is everything alright?"

Artemis strode across the floor to her mother's bedside, relief evident on her face. She knelt down and gave her mother a tight hug, and Paula responded in kind. After a few moments, however, she pulled away, confused. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong, sweetheart?" she said, her eyes searching Artemis's face.

Artemis took a deep breath and stood up, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "I'm fine, mom. It's just been a really long day," she said, making her way to the door. But it was a lie. Not everything was as it should be, and Artemis was going to find out who had been in her house. It could have been her father again. Oh _God_ how she hoped it wasn't her father.

Paula took in the dark circles under her daughter's eyes and the slump to her shoulders. "You should get to sleep honey," she said kindly, "It's late, and you have school in the morning."

Artemis nodded, "Trust me, I know," she said tiredly, allowing a wry smile to grace her face, "Have a good night mom," she muttered as she shut the door. Once outside, however, she was back on alert, her body sliding into a defensive crouch as she moved down the dark hall back to her room. After reassuring herself that there was no one hiding underneath her bed, she began sweeping the room for bugs or bombs. In the middle of doing this, her eyes alighted on a white envelope lying on the other bed in the room, the same bed that Sportsmaster had laid on not too many days ago. The bedcovers were illuminated by the moonlight pouring in through her open window, casting a spotlight on the foreign object.

Alarmed, Artemis stalked over to the bed, flipping the envelope over with her crossbow. It was completely blank, with no indication as to who it was from. Using her arrow, she sliced it open with shaking hands. Carefully unfolding the letter inside, she began to read:

_Artemis,_

_ You may not trust me, but the Shadows and your father are_ not_ happy. If you want to survive for another week, I suggest taking a vacation from your little "hero" game, or it may be "off with your head"._

_ -Your Big Sis_

Looking up from the letter, Artemis glanced at the torn poster hanging over her sister's bed. As she locked eyes with the grinning cat, a cold chill ran down her spine, making the hairs on her neck stand up. In her mind, she saw the grinning mask of her enemy, the one who she had once relied on for everything.

But not anymore.

She would watch her own back, since she could rely on no one else to do so for her.

_ I can't trust anyone. Not Dad, not Mom, not the team. Not her._

Especially_ not her. _

**Sooo...this was my first story! Tell me if it sucks major balls, or if it's kind of decent (that would be nice!) :D More chapters to come soon!**


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